The Yoga of Love
भक्त्या त्वनन्यया शक्य अहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन।
ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप॥
By single-minded devotion alone can I be known thus, Arjuna, and seen in truth and entered into.
Bhakti Yoga is the path of love and devotion to the Divine. While Jnana Yoga uses the sword of discrimination, Bhakti melts the ego through the fire of love.
The Nature of Bhakti
What is True Bhakti?
Not mere ritual:
- External worship helps
- But bhakti is heart’s condition
- Like loving a friend, not bribing a judge
The essence:
- Parā-bhakti (supreme devotion): Selfless love
- Seeking nothing, not even liberation
- Loving Divine for Divine’s own sake
- “I don’t want salvation, I want You”
Narada’s definition (Narada Bhakti Sutras):
“Bhakti is intense love for God. Having attained that, one becomes perfect, immortal, satisfied.”
The Glory of Bhakti
The easiest path:
- No high intellectual capacity needed
- No strenuous austerities required
- No complicated practices necessary
- Just love—everyone can love
The fastest path:
- Grace of the Beloved lifts you
- Your effort: Opening the door
- Divine’s effort: Rushing in
- Ramakrishna: “One day’s bhakti equals years of jnana practice”
The safest path:
- No danger of ego inflation
- Surrender dissolves “I”
- Protected by the Beloved
- “You are Mine, I am yours”
The sweetest path:
- Jnana: Dry for many
- Karma: Dutiful but austere
- Bhakti: Nectar, joy, ecstasy
- Rasa (divine sweetness) flows
Taught by Prahlada to Narada
1. श्रवणम् (Śravaṇam) - Listening
- Hearing Divine names, stories, glories
- Listening to scriptures, kirtans, teachings
- Bhagavata Purana: Stories of Krishna
- Effect: Mind becomes saturated with Divine
2. कीर्तनम् (Kīrtanam) - Chanting/Singing
- Singing Divine names and glories
- Kirtan: Call-and-response devotional singing
- Bhajan: Devotional songs
- Effect: Ego dissolves in sound, ecstasy arises
3. स्मरणम् (Smaraṇam) - Remembering
- Constant remembrance of Divine
- Japa: Repetition of Divine name
- Visualizing Divine form
- Effect: Mind becomes one-pointed, presence constant
4. पादसेवनम् (Pāda-sevanam) - Serving the Lotus Feet
- Worship, puja, offerings
- Physical acts of devotion
- Caring for temple, altar, images
- Effect: Body sanctified, every action becomes worship
5. अर्चनम् (Arcanam) - Ritual Worship
- Daily puja with flowers, incense, light
- Treating Divine as honored guest
- Elaborate or simple, with love
- Effect: Creates sacred space in life
6. वन्दनम् (Vandanam) - Prostration
- Bowing physically and mentally
- Offering ego at Divine feet
- Pranam: Complete surrender
- Effect: Pride destroyed, humility cultivated
7. दास्यम् (Dāsyam) - Servitude
- Being Divine’s servant
- Hanuman’s example: Pure service
- No will but Divine will
- Effect: Personal desires fade, Divine will remains
8. सख्यम् (Sakhyam) - Friendship
- Relating to Divine as friend
- Arjuna and Krishna: Sacred friendship
- Informal, intimate relationship
- Effect: Love without fear, Divine becomes companion
9. आत्मनिवेदनम् (Ātma-nivedanam) - Complete Surrender
- Total self-offering
- “Not my will, but Yours”
- Surrender fruits of all actions
- Effect: Ego dies, only Divine remains
Practice: Begin with one or two that attract you. Gradually, all nine naturally emerge.
The Five Primary Bhavas (Relationships with Divine)
The Modes of Divine Love
1. शान्त भाव (Śānta Bhāva) - Peaceful Love
- Tranquil devotion
- Seeing Divine in all, but from distance
- Sages, jnanis: “I am That”
- Peaceful, but less sweet
2. दास्य भाव (Dāsya Bhāva) - Servant Love
- Devotee as servant, Divine as master
- Hanuman to Rama: Ideal example
- Joy in service, no questions
- “Command me, I obey”
3. सख्य भाव (Sakhya Bhāva) - Friendly Love
- Devotee as friend, Divine as companion
- Arjuna to Krishna: Talking freely
- Sharing joys, sorrows, jokes
- “You are my best friend”
4. वात्सल्य भाव (Vātsalya Bhāva) - Parental Love
- Devotee as parent, Divine as child
- Yashoda to baby Krishna
- Protective, nurturing, tender
- “You are my precious child”
5. माधुर्य भाव (Mādhurya Bhāva) - Sweet/Romantic Love
- Devotee as lover, Divine as Beloved
- Radha and Krishna: Ultimate example
- Most intense, most consuming
- Complete union, ecstatic dissolution
- “You are my everything”
Note: All are valid. Choose what resonates. Or let your heart choose for you.
The Great Bhakti Saints
Examples That Inspire
Mirabai (मीराबाई):
- Rajput princess, renounced all for Krishna
- Danced in streets, sang with ecstasy
- Poison turned to nectar by Krishna’s grace
- “I am colored with the color of dusk, O Krishna”
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (चैतन्य महाप्रभु):
- Bengali saint, founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism
- Sankirtan movement: Public chanting and dancing
- Lost in divine madness (mahābhāva)
- “I don’t want liberation, I want endless birth to serve You”
Tukaram (तुकाराम):
- Marathi poet-saint, low-caste grocer
- Wrote abhangas (devotional poetry)
- Simple language, profound love
- Disappeared in Divine light while singing
Andal (ஆண்டாள்):
- Tamil woman saint, only female Alvar
- Wrote passionate love poetry to Vishnu
- Merged into Vishnu’s image in temple
- Pure bridal mysticism
Kabir (कबीर):
- Weaver-saint, transcended Hindu-Muslim divide
- Direct, simple language
- “The lane of love is narrow, there’s no place for ‘I’ and ‘You’”
Ramakrishna (রামকৃষ্ণ):
- Modern saint, worshipped Divine Mother Kali
- Achieved samadhi through intense devotion
- Demonstrated all paths lead to same goal
- Perfect example of madhurya bhava
Common Themes
Madness:
- All appeared “mad” to world
- Society criticized
- They didn’t care
- Lost in Divine intoxication
Social status irrelevant:
- High-born, low-born, male, female
- Caste, class, gender: Dissolved in bhakti
- Only heart’s love matters
Grace:
- All emphasized Divine grace
- Your effort: Longing, calling
- Divine’s response: Overwhelming love
Stages of Bhakti (According to Narada Bhakti Sutras)
The Progressive Deepening
1. Gauni Bhakti (गौणी भक्ति) - Preliminary Devotion
- Motivated by desire (prosperity, health, heaven)
- Transactional: “I give offerings, You give blessings”
- Still valuable, starts the journey
2. Uttama Bhakti (उत्तम भक्ति) - Higher Devotion
- Seeking liberation, not worldly gains
- Devotion as means to mukti
- More refined, but still goal-oriented
3. Para Bhakti (परा भक्ति) - Supreme Devotion
- Love for love’s sake alone
- No seeking anything, not even liberation
- “If You send me to hell, fine—just let me love You”
- Ego dissolved in Divine love
4. Prema (प्रेम) - Pure Love
- Beyond devotion, becomes the devotee’s nature
- Not doing bhakti, being bhakti
- Every breath a hymn, every heartbeat a prayer
- Complete union (not loss of consciousness, but loss of separation)
Practices of Bhakti Yoga
Essential Practices
Japa (जप) - Mantra Repetition
- Choose a mantra: “Om Namah Shivaya,” “Hare Krishna,” “Om Namo Narayanaya,” etc.
- Repeat with devotion, not mechanically
- With mala (prayer beads): 108 repetitions
- Effect: Mind purified, Divine presence felt
Kirtan (कीर्तन) - Devotional Singing
- Group or solo singing of Divine names
- Call-and-response format
- Build intensity gradually
- Effect: Ecstasy, ego dissolution, joy
Puja (पूजा) - Ritual Worship
- Daily altar with image/murti
- Offerings: Flowers, incense, food, water, light
- Treat Divine as special guest
- Effect: Creates sacred space, focuses mind
Satsang (सत्सङ्ग) - Holy Company
- Spend time with devotees
- Discuss Divine topics
- Shared bhajan/kirtan
- Effect: Inspiration, support, increased devotion
Seva (सेवा) - Selfless Service
- Serve others as Divine
- “When I fed the hungry, I fed You”
- No expectation of return
- Effect: Heart opens, ego softens
Reading Sacred Texts:
- Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavata Purana, Ramayana
- Lives of saints
- Devotional poetry (Mirabai, Tukaram, Andal)
- Effect: Mind saturated with Divine
The Simplest Practice
Remember the Name:
- In all circumstances, remember Divine name
- While working, walking, before sleep
- Ramakrishna: “Call from your heart, Mother must come”
- Like child calling “Ma!” repeatedly
The secret: Intensity matters more than quantity. One heartfelt cry surpasses thousand mechanical prayers.
Common Obstacles and Solutions
The Ego’s Traps
Obstacle 1: Pride in devotion
- “Look how devoted I am!”
- Solution: Remember, even your bhakti is Divine’s grace
Obstacle 2: Judging others
- “I’m more devoted than them”
- Solution: See Divine in all, even those who don’t practice
Obstacle 3: Ritualism without love
- Mechanical puja, heartless chanting
- Solution: One moment of genuine feeling > hours of empty ritual
Obstacle 4: Seeking experiences
- Chasing visions, voices, phenomena
- Solution: Seek the One behind all experiences
Obstacle 5: Dryness (lack of feeling)
- Common in spiritual life
- Solution: Continue practice with faith; grace comes when ready
The Divine’s Assurance
Bhagavad Gita 9.22:
“To those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.”
You are cared for. Keep loving, keep calling. Response is certain.
The Fruit of Bhakti
What Happens?
Gradually:
- Sense of separation lessens
- Feel Divine presence more
- Life becomes worship
- Joy independent of circumstances
Eventually:
- Distinction between devotee and Divine blurs
- “I” melts into “You”
- Only love remains
- Pure being, pure consciousness, pure bliss
Ramakrishna’s description:
- Like salt doll measuring ocean’s depth
- Enters water, dissolves completely
- No doll returns to tell the tale
- Only ocean remains
The Paradox
Two become one:
- Devotee dissolves in Beloved
- Yet, some bhaktas choose to remain separate
- “I want to taste the sugar, not become sugar”
- Both are valid: Union and loving duality
Your choice:
- Advaita bhakti: Ultimate merger, no separation
- Dvaita bhakti: Eternal loving relationship, preserve separation for joy of love
- Both lead to liberation from suffering
- Both are expressions of same Reality
For Contemplation
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम्।
As people approach Me, so do I receive them. All paths lead to Me.
The invitation: You need not be scholar, athlete, or ascetic. Just love. Open your heart. Call the Divine by any name you cherish. The Beloved is waiting, has always been waiting, for your one genuine call.
Start now: Choose one practice. Sing one song. Offer one flower. Repeat one name. Do it with feeling. That’s all. The Divine will meet you more than halfway.
The promise: This path is certain. Every sincere bhakta reaches the goal. Not one is ever lost. Love never fails.